Apparatus for stretching cloth on billiard-tables.



A. M. HUBERT-BRIERRE. APPARATUS FOR STRETGHING CLOTH ON BILLIARD TABLES.

APPLIOATION FILED Nov. so, 1906.

976,570. Patented Nov. 22, 1910.

.ve'eeam 01 I III! ALFRED MAURICE HUBERT-BRIE RR'E, OFPARIS, FRANCE.

APPARATUS FOR STRETCHING CLOTH 0N BILLIARD-TABLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 30, 1906.

Patented Nov. 22, 1910.

Serial No: 345,697.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED MAURIcn HUnEirr-Bmrnmn a citizen of the Republic of France, residing in Paris, in said Republic, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Stretching Cloth on Billiard-Tables, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in the apparatus for stretching cloth on billiard tables for which United States Patent No. 820,929 was granted to me under date of May 15, 1906.

According to this patent the edge of the cloth was nailed to a temporary strip placed around the frame of the table. This strip was forced downwardly until the required tension of the cloth was obtained. Then the cloth was nailed to the frame of the table and the strip removed. This required two nailings of the cloth.

()ne object of the present invention is to obviate the necessity of the two nailings of the cloth by providing a movable tensioning strip forming a permanent part of the structure of the table and to which the edge of the cloth is permanently nailed.

Another object is toprovide means for preventing the uneven stretching of the cloth by careless workmen.

Other objects are to provide a durable form of armored tensioning strip, and to provide an efficient tension, means for moving this strip.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a sectional view of a billiard table, taken on the line 11 of Fig. 2, parts being shown in elevation. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same portion.

Similar reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views.

This improved apparatus is shown in connection with a billiard table having a top composed of a slate bed 5 of proper thickness to which is glued all around a wooden frame 6 resting on the body 7 of the table. The bed 5 projects slightly beyond the frame 6 and the body 7 forming an over-handing ledge the outer edge of which is even with the outer face of the tensioning strip 8 placed around the body of the table under said ledge. The cloth 9 is stretched evenly over the bed and is tacked at its edges to the lower part of the outer face of the tensioning strip by tacks 10. In practice the strip is held in place as illustrated for the nailing operation by means of screws 11 passed through one of the holes 12 in the tensioningistrip, and into the frame 6. The tensioning'strip consists of a body portion 13 of wood covered at its lower and inner faces by anarmor 14: of angle iron secured to the body portion by means of screws 15. Nuts or lugs 16 placed a suitable distance apart in the body portion of the strip, all around the table, are soldered against the angle iron, the holes of these nuts being a part of a threaded hole 17 passing entirely through said body part, said nuts and said angle iron for the reception ofshort fiat-headed thread ed bolts 18 of the tensioning devices for moving the tensioning strip. Vertically beneath each short belt, a suitable distance therefrom, a longer fiat-headed screw 19 is screwed. into the body of the table in such a manner that the screw-threaded eye 20 of the head of the short bolt is in vertical alinement with the threaded eye 21 of the headed screw 19. Through these eyes is passed a vertical tensioning screw 22 having a head engaging the head of the short bolt 18 the threads of the adjusting bolt engaging in the eye 21. The bolts 18 and the screws 19 and 22 constitute the tensioning devices. All around the outer face ofv the table body 7 are arranged parallel rows of holes 23 each row being a difierent distance below the edge of the bed 5. Into these holes may be placed the stop pins 24.

The operation of stretching the cloth is as follows: The strip 8 is held about the table body in the position illustrated by means of the stop pins 24 which are, for this purpose placed in the holes 23. The strip, being thus held, is secured to the table body by the screws 11. The clothis then spread evenly over the table bed and its edges nailed by the nails 10. After this has been done, the pins 24 are placed in the holes 23*, as illustrated, the cloth 9 is pierced at each hole 17, and the tensioningdevices are placed in the position illustrated and :the screws 22 slightly tightened with a suitable tool. The screws 11 are then removed and the tensioning screws 22 turned until the lower edge of the strip 8 rests against the stop-pins 24L now in the holes 23 as stated. If it be found that the tension of the cloth is suflicient with the strip 8 in this new position the holes 25 are bored in the table-body in register with the left hand holes 12; the screws 11 inserted for holding the strip 8 in place, and the tens'ioning device and the stop-pins 24: are removed. If however the tenslon of the cloth is not suflicient, the stop-pins 24 are simply removed from the holes 23 to the holes 23 and. the tensioning screws 22 turned until the strip 8 touches the stop-pins, which have now been placed in the holes 23. The tensioning may now be stopped as before or it may be continued until the tensioning strip rests upon the stop-pins having been placed inthe holes 23. It is obvious that the tensioning may be stopped at the point desired and the cloth again tensioned when necessary after the table has been played upon. If the tensioning is stopped when the strip 8 is even with the holes 23 'or 23 holes 25 or 25 respectively are bored for the reception of the screws 11.

It will be seen that since the rows of holes 23, 23 23 and 23 are all parallel to the table bed and to each other, and since the strip is moved always only the distance between each row, the strip and the cloth must always be tensioned evenly and that this operation can be performed by unskilled or careless workmen.

I claim as my invention 1. In an apparatus for stretching cloth on billiard tables, the combination with the table body having in its outer face-parallel rows of stop-pin holes parallel to the upper edge of the table body and a bed on said table body, of a strip vertically slidable below and parallel to the edge of said bed, and adapted to have a billiard cloth secured thereto, means for forcing said strip downwardly to tighten said cloth, stop-pins adapted to be placed in any one of said rows of holes to limit the downward movement of said. strip, whereby said cloth may be tightened evenly, and means for holding said strip rigidly in place after it isforced down- Ward against the stop-pins.

2. In a billiard table and an apparatus for stretching cloth thereon, the combination of a table body having on its outer face rows of stop-pin holes and rows of screw holes, each; of said rows being parallel to and a difierent distance from the upper edge of the table body, a bed on said table-body and V projecting therefrom to form an overhanging ledge, a strip parallel to and slidable beneath said ledge and having therein holes adapted to register with said screw-holes, screws adapted to pass through the holes of said strip and into the holes of any one of said rows of screw-holes, stop-pins adapted to be placed in the holes of any one of said rows of stop-pin holes and adapted to limit the downward movement of said strip, and means for forcing said strip downwardly against said stop-pins, whereby said cloth may be tightened evenly.

3. In an apparatus for stretching cloth on billiard tables, the combination, with the table body and the bed thereon, of a strip vertically slidable below and parallel to the edge of the bed and a wooden body portion, an armor of angle iron covering the inner and lower faces of the strip, and tapped nuts soldered to the inner face of the angle iron atthe inner side-face of the wooden body portion, said body portion and angle iron being provided with holes forming a continuation of the holes of the nuts; tensioning devices comprising threaded bolts engaging in said holes; adjustable means disposed in lines parallel to the edge'of the bed for limiting the downward movement of the strips; and means for permanently holding said strips in adjusted position.

4. In a billiard table the combination of a table body having rows of holes in lines parallel to the upper edge of the table, each row being a different distance from said edge, a bed supported by said table body and projecting beyond said body to form therewith an overhanging ledge, a strip parallel to and slidable beneath said ledge and having therein holes adapted to register with the holes of certain of said rows of holes, stop-pins adapted to be placed in the holes of different ones of said rows of holes to limit the downward movement of said strip, short bolts screwed into said strip each having a vertically disposed eye, headed screws screwed into said frame below said rows of holes and each having a threaded eye in alinement with said vertically disposed eye, and vertically. disposed screw-bolts passing through said eyes and having heads engag ing said short bolts and threads engaging said threaded eyes. I

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALFRED MAURICE HUBERT-BRIERRE. I Witnesses:

EMILE LEDRET, HANSON G. Coxn. 

